Drivers 'living in fear' of road rage: report

New research gives insight into the level of road rage, and the major perpetrators, on NSW roads.

September 30 2013

Sam Hall

Picture: Laura Egan.

One in 10 motorists believe it’s acceptable to carry a weapon to defend themselves against road rage and more than half of all drivers say they’ve been tailgated or followed in their vehicle: such is the level of aggression on NSW roads.

Insurance company GIO surveyed 1621 NSW road users and found a high prevalence of road rage and aggression, with more than half of motorists acting unusually aggressive behind the wheel.

“Fifty-four per cent of drivers know someone with ‘Jekyll-Hyde’ tendencies – people who are normally kind and polite in everyday life, but become angry and aggressive behind the wheel,” the findings stated. “One in ten drivers admitted that person was them.”

The State of Courtesy report correlates with findings from a road rage specialist, who says that even-tempered people tend to act abnormally once inside their car because they believe they’re more protected.

According to the report, 13 per cent of drivers believe it’s a good idea to carry a weapon to defend themselves against road rage, while 14 per cent have been either physically assaulted, forced off the road or suffered damage to their car.

“NSW drivers are becoming less patient and more hostile behind the wheel – and it’s not just hotheads that are blowing their fuse, the unassuming ‘nice guy’ is just as likely to snap,” says GIO spokesman Stephen Bell.

“One in four NSW drivers admit to swearing or gesturing rudely at another driver, but what starts out as a seemingly harmless action can escalate and lead to something far more dangerous such as a physical confrontation.”

According to the research, road aggression stemmed from drivers being in a rush,traffic congestion, frequent road works and poor infrastructure, among other factors.

Dr Helen Cameron from the School of Psychology at the University of South Australia says the study’s findings correlated with long-held views about road rage.

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“People in their car feel as though they’re more protected than usual: it’s their personal bubble and they get away with more than what they would normally, when it’s face to face contact,” Dr Cameron says.

“People need to be mindful of that the fact that tension and driving are a dangerous combination. You have to accept the fact that people are going to make rude gestures towards you and it’s better to just let it go over your head.”

Dr Cameron says young males were most susceptible to being aggressive towards other motorists, particularly if they were driving while in an emotional state.

She says the prevalence of motorists carrying weapons indicated that some drivers were prepared for, or going in search of, confrontations with other road users.

“If you look at people that carry weapons, it suggests that they’re actually looking for trouble,” Dr Cameron says.

The research found a deterioration of trust among motorists as a result of driver aggression, with a third of NSW drivers admitting they would not stop to assist a fellow driver in need.

“Seventy-six per cent of drivers said their unwillingness to stop and help another driver was for fear of it being dangerous or a set up,” Bell said.